By Tyler Head- Atlanta Motor Speedway for www.skyviewsports.net
HAMPTON, Ga. (Aug. 20, 2024) – Young racing talent Ty Gibbs didn’t earn his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in Michigan, but a strong 3rd place effort and a repeat winner were the next best thing for his playoff chances.
“It was a great day. We have kind of had a yard sale the last three races prior and it was really good to have a great day, with a great points day and a great finish,” said Gibbs, who is attempting to make the playoffs in just his second full-time season at NASCAR’s top level. “(We were) in contention to win and missed out by a little bit, but it was a good improvement for sure.”
Gibbs is now 10th in the series standings and 39 points ahead of the playoff cut line with just two races remaining: the ever-unpredictable Daytona International Speedway followed by the unforgiving high banks of Darlington Raceway. Gibbs has high expectations for himself and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team to close out the year strong and earn a spot in NASCAR’s postseason.
“We’re really fast week in and week out usually if we don’t have any issues,” said Gibbs. “So I feel like we should be in (the playoffs) in a way, but I’ll be very thankful to make it.”
If Gibbs succeeds, the first challenge he’ll face as part of the 16-driver field of championship contenders will be Atlanta Motor Speedway, which has hosted sensational races since it was reconfigured for the 2022 season. With close-quarters, white-knuckle racing the norm at AMS, Gibbs has a simple goal to survive and give himself the best opportunity to win the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart.
“You just have to get up front and stay up front the whole time,” said Gibbs. “Staying up front is really key (at Atlanta).”
Here’s a look at the full NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture with two races remaining in the regular season:
Locked In:
1. William Byron
2. Daniel Suárez
3. Kyle Larson
4. Christopher Bell
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Chase Elliott
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Austin Cindric
10. Ryan Blaney
11. Joey Logano
12. Alex Bowman
Almost a Lock:
Martin Truex Jr. (+77 to the cut line) – A rare slip by the 2017 champion late in Monday’s race at Michigan spoiled what was setting up to be a solid result for the No. 19 team. That said, trouble found other bubble drivers at Michigan as well and Truex remains in a good position to secure a spot in the playoffs.
On the bubble:
Ty Gibbs (+39 to the cut line) – Gibbs had the best showing of the drivers on the bubble, finishing 3rd and extending his lead over the cut line. If he secures a solid finish at Daytona, he will upgrade his status on this list. However, if he finds trouble instead, the pressure will increase for the regular season finale at Darlington.
Chris Buescher (+16 to the cut line) – Collected in a multi-car accident during Stage 2, Buescher’s playoff hopes appeared to take a critical hit. Instead, the No. 17 crew repaired his car and the Prosper, Texas, native rallied to flip the script and score a 6th place finish, vaulting back above the cut line with a few points to spare.
Ross Chastain (+1 to the cut line) – While Buescher rallied to turn a bad day into a good result, Chastain had a good day spoiled in overtime. Battling in the top 10 on the first overtime attempt, Chastain lost control of the No. 1 Chevrolet and spun into grass, surrendering multiple positions and valuable points in the process. With his 25th place result, his playoff standing remains tenuous.
Bubba Wallace (-1 to the cut line) – The lap 116 pileup that collected Buescher also involved Wallace, whose No. 23 car suffered more detrimental damage when Larson spun into his path. As a result, a promising run that saw Wallace seize the lead early in the 200-lap event ended with him limping to the finish in 26th. Wallace’s playoff hopes likely cannot survive another mishap with two treacherous tracks left to determine the playoff field.
Winning solves (almost) everything:
There’s 17 more drivers (including Austin Dillon, who is set to have his appeal of a penalty that removed the playoff eligibility from his Richmond win later this week) who can earn a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs by winning a race, so long as their victory is not encumbered by NASCAR officials. Those drivers are:
- Kyle Busch
- Chase Briscoe
- Todd Gilliland
- Michael McDowell
- Carson Hocevar
- Josh Berry
- Noah Gragson
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Ryan Preece
- Erik Jones
- Justin Haley
- Austin Dillon
- Daniel Hemric
- Corey Lajoie
- Jon Hunter Nemechek
- Zane Smith
- Harrison Burton
Two races remain to determine who will race for a championship starting at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 8 in the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart. Tickets and camping accommodations for the Sept. 6-8 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart NASCAR weekend are available at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
About the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:
The Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart kicks off the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. 16 drivers begin their quest to hoist the Bill France Cup on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s high banks on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Accompanying the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is the Focused Health 250 on Saturday, Sept. 7. With just three races remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, the rising stars of NASCAR will have added pressure to secure their place in the postseason with a trip to victory lane.
More information on the Sept. 6-8 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.